


Other Sides of the Coin

by jaekayelle



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26641672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaekayelle/pseuds/jaekayelle
Summary: At a Come As You Aren't dance, the gang realizes they don't know the Watcher that well after all.
Kudos: 2





	Other Sides of the Coin

Buffy and the Slayerettes came into the Library, more an explosion of noise and exuberance than an entrance, shattering the comforting silence of his sanctuary. He didn't recall hearing the end of the period bell but a glance at his watch confirmed that it was now "after school". The noisy arrival of his young friends was to be expected. He was annoyed that he had been startled so badly as to drop the book he was engrossed in onto the table.

He was definitely immersed too deeply in the persona of Rupert Giles he thought to his disgust, a fleeting but sharp spear of dismay pierced his soul and then Rupert was back and locked firmly into place. He shifted around to greet his visitors.

"...should go as something exotic like a belly dancer or something," Buffy was saying.

"Belly dancer. Yeah. Has potential." Xander bobbed his head up and down like one of those dogs that used to ride around in the back window of people's cars.

Willow's green eyes grew huge and she clutched her school books to her chest.

"Oh. No. I...I don't think so!" She shook her head once, twice emphatically. "Halloween was exotic enough for me."

The slayer frowned at her friend. "C'mon, Will. Halloween was a bust. That's why we're having this dance."

At the mention of Halloween Giles' interest perked up.

"W-what's t-this?" Damn. He hated every stutter and stammer that escaped his mouth but they were such a part of him now he wasn't sure he could speak without the impediment.

"Hi, Giles." Buffy pulled out a chair and sat next to her Watcher.

"Because Halloween wasn't fun, the school has voted to hold a Come As You Aren't dance on Friday night."

"It's a makeup exam for those of us who got a failing grade in fun and mayhem in October," Xander offered.

"We're trying to decide what or who to go as. It has to be something the opposite of us as we are normally."

"Seems to me th-that, uh, you already did that on Halloween," Giles pointed out.

"But we missed it. We're looking at this as a bonus Halloween dressup party."

Xander said, "What the hey, we're kids. We party."

"Yeah," Willow said with more enthusiasm than previously. "It's what we do."

Jenny Calendar came into the Library, her face alight with a smile.

"Did you hear? There's going to be a Come As You Aren't dance on Friday."

"Not you, too," Giles muttered.

She moved to stand behind him, one hand resting on his shoulder. He couldn't see her from that angle but he turned his head to look at the long, ringed fingers lightly tracing the edge of his jacket collar.

"Oh, Rupert. It'll be fun." Her voice was close to his ear. Her breath warm on his cheek. He flicked a glance toward Slayer and Company. All three had grins plastered on their faces. He felt blood suffuse his face.

"S-so you're going, too?" Her hand broke the contact and she walked a few steps away. At least he could see her face now.

"I volunteered to work as chaperone. Why don't you come?"

"Well, I uh..."

"Of course he's going to be there." Principal Snyder walked in and the teenagers reflexively moved as one away to the side giving him a clear path to the table where Giles still sat. "He just volunteered to chaperone as well. That is what I heard you say isn't it, Mr. Giles?" Snyder put his hands on the table and leaned across to sneer in the Librarian's face.

"I don't recall volunteering," Giles muttered sarcastically.

"What was that?" The officious little man leaned in even closer. They were almost nose to nose.

Giles backed down and gave himself a mental kick while he was at it. He couldn't afford to alienate the principal. He needed the job to be near Buffy and the books in the Library. "I, uh, said, I'll be only too happy to chaperone."

Snyder nodded in satisfaction and left like the imperious little worm that he was.

Giles shot a venomous look after him. If looks could kill...

Jenny was close beside him again, patting his arm. "Don't worry, Rupert. It'll give us time together. And I expect at least one dance with you." She wore that wonderful smile that turned his insides to mush.

He managed a smile back at her. "That would be nice." There. No stutter. He needed to practice that.

"Now all we need to do is figure out what you can go as."

Giles let his gaze go out of focus. This could be his chance. If he could get away with it...

"Oh, I have an idea about that." And no amount of prodding from the others would get him to divulge his plan.

The students wasted no time in getting the dance started. As soon as they began drifting into the auditorium in pairs and groups, the band began to play and teens started moving to the music.

Over near the refreshment table, Jenny and the Slayerettes, including Cordelia, gathered.

Dressed in veils and gauzy blouse and pants, Jenny looked the part of the exotica that Willow had passed on. The young hacker was dressed what she had deemed sensible as a female pirate. She'd put her best efforts forth to camouflage her self-concious self and succeeded in playing up her best assets. A peasant blouse that she took pains to keep up from sliding off her shoulders showed off her figure. Likewise a wide belt cinched her narrow waist and the black skirt that flowed out over her hips.

"Will, wow." Buffy stared at her shy friend. "You look terrific."

"I do?" Willow glanced down at her self. "Gee. Thanks. You look pretty knockout yourself."

Buffy had chosen to come as a sensuous black cat in leotard and tights that left little to the imagination. Xander was having trouble keeping his eyes in his head.

"Thanks," Buffy smiled ruefully. "Not too imaginative, I'm afraid, considering Cordy was a spotted cat on Halloween."

"And speaking of Cordy..." Willow gestured toward the door with her eyes as Cordelia approached their group.

"How did I ever let you talk me into this...this ridiculous get up?" Cordelia glared at Xander then looked at Buffy, Jenny and, God help her, Willow and wailed. The usually always fashionable cheerleader wore a grey wig and glasses with a dowdy dress and sensible shoes. "I'll be the laughing stock!"

"You agreed to go along with me on this," Xander reminded her. He was dressed similarly as her male counterpart.

"What are you two supposed to be anyway?" Buffy asked.

"Anoldmarriedcouple," Xander mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"An Old Married Couple."

Buffy and Willow exchanged glances and struggled to stifle their laughter.

Cordelia got more upset and stalked away with Xander trailing after her.

"Wait! You said it was okay with you. I heard you..."

"Well," Buffy snickered. "They've got the bickering part down."

"Yeah but together?" Willow questioned the pairing. Last she checked Cordy and Xander weren't a couple of any kind.

"Have either of you seen Rupert?" Jenny asked scanning the crowd.

"Nope."

"Maybe he chickened out."

"He better not have...done...that." Jenny's voice faded away. "Oh. My."

The teen girls' heads swivelled to see what she was looking at. There was some sort of quiet commotion occurring near the entrance. Murmurs reached their ears and some of the dancers parted to allow a man past them.

Giles.

Maybe.

It looked like him. Except it didn't look like him. It didn't even move like him. But it was him. All three women were confused. And stunned.

"Armani," Buffy breathed like it was a benediction.

"Do you think?" Jenny asked.

"Uh huh."

Willow merely stared, speechless.

His lean body was enveloped in a three thousand dollar black Armani suit with black silk shirt. Two buttons open at the neck revealed a few curling hairs on his chest. On his feet were shoes that had to be...

"Italian leather." This spoken reverently from Cordelia who had returned and now stood gaping like the rest of them.

"Is that an...earring?" Jenny queried. A small hoop of gold embedded in his left ear caught the light as he approached.

He strode across the floor in a sure, confident step that fairly glided, reminiscent of a panther stalking its dinner. His hands were jammed into his pants pockets, his hair -- there was something different about his hair -- was gelled or styled or something -- and no glasses. As he approached, his green eyes sized up each of them beginning and ending with Jenny.

He kept walking until he invaded her personal space, looking down and deep into her eyes. Jenny's hand fluttered at her side.

"Rupert?" she asked uncertainly.

His gaze dropped to somewhere around the middle of her chest and warm fingers drifted featherlight along her bare forearm.

"You look spectacular," his voice was low and sensual.

"Uh huh. I mean... So do you. My God, Rupert. Where did this..." she trailed off hopelessly, her face flushing hotly.

He smiled then and Jenny's knees wobbled.

"Ms. Calendar?" A young girl came up to them, her gaze slid over to Giles, away and then snapped back, eyes widening. "Um, Terri Clark is in the girls bathroom and she's not feeling well. She asked me to get you to help her."

"Yes. Right away. I need air...breath...to breathe." Calendar tore her eyes away from Giles and headed for the washroom. The girl who served as messenger stared at Giles for another moment and then followed the teacher.

"Wow, Giles. You know how to make an entrance." Buffy couldn't take her eyes off her formerly nerdy but undeniably handsome Watcher. Now he was just devastatingly gorgeous. That's all. No biggie. Right...

Giles circled the Slayer, slowly, eyes appraising, obviously liking what he saw.

"You look deliciously feline," he stated, green eyes alight with something unmentionable. Buffy did a Willow and gulped audibly.

He moved on to another member of their group.

"Cordelia." A small frown creased his brow. "How unfortunate," he said sadly. "Your beauty hidden by that costume. Ah well. Your date will have fun retrieving the real you." The girl actually squealed with pleasure.

Xander came up and heard that last. He beamed widely but it faded as he looked with some confusion at the Librarian.

"Giles, right?" He looked at his friends for confirmation. They, all being female, were too busy gazing at the sexy apparition that was the Watcher.

Giles wasn't finished.

"Willow." The name came out as a sigh, soft as a cloud. The girl in question brightened perceptively.

"Yes?" she asked a trifle eagerly.

His hand brushed her cheek then grasped her upper arm.

"Dance with me," he commanded and led her away. Entranced, she followed unprotestingly.

The remaining teens stood and watched. Several mouths were still open. Jenny returned then and asked, "Was there a mystical energy transference of some sort that no one bothered to inform me about?"

Buffy sighed. "Dunno but my Watcher is a hottie. How come I never noticed before?"

On the dance floor Giles held Willow loosely in his arms but close enough for her to feel like she was all that mattered to him in this universe. She didn't even notice if her feet were moving. He danced for both of them. When the music ended he placed her hand in the crook of his arm and returned her to her friends.

"Okay," she said somewhat breathlessly. "I can turn back into a pumpkin now."

Giles pulled her around to face him taking her chin in his fingers so that she had no choice but to look up at him. "You are too lovely to ever be a mere pumpkin. Promise me you'll think more highly of yourself than that."

"Ohh... I promise."

"Rupert?" This was put forth almost timidly by Jenny.

"Yes?"

"Um, it is you?"

Xander brightened. "That was my question."

"It's me."

"Then what...how?"

He regarded her intently for a moment causing her to shift from one foot to the other and clutch her bare abdomen. Finally he leaned over and whispered in her right ear. After a few seconds she covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.

"Rupert!" Shocked but pleased.

He slid his arm around her shoulders and urged her towards the dance floor. In the midst of the jostling bodies he pulled her close to him, insinuated his knee between hers and began to sway to the music. Jenny was lost. She reached up, her arms encircling his neck. Eyes shut she leaned against his chest and followed his lead.

The teens watched dumbfounded at the blatantly seductive moves he put on their computer teacher. This was the permanently befuddled librarian who blushed violently whenever Jenny teased or flirted with him?

For her part, Jenny was close to swooning and the word had never before been part of her vocabulary. Giles' hands were flat on her back moving in slow heated circles that drifted ever lower. Then they settled on her hips and snapped her up against him in a sudden jerk that welded them together below the waist. The positioning took her breath away.

"Ahem."

Giles lifted his head from where his lips were caressing Jenny's neck. Herr Snyder stood there doing an excellent impression of a pit bull.

When he had their attention, the principal fairly growled at them.

"What's the meaning of this behaviour? Acting like a couple of teenagers. You're here to put a stop to this sort of thing not do a floor show demonstrating makeout tips." He stopped and stared at Giles, narrowing his eyes. "There's something different... Never mind. Just get back to work and we'll forget this entire incident happened."

"One moment." Giles reached out and encircled Snyder's shoulders. There was a collective shudder of distaste from the ever observing Slayer and her enclave.

Giles got very close to Snyder and spoke to him in a low tone. Snyder paled noticeably, gave Giles a startled look then stammered something about having to break up a fight outside the gym and he scuttled off.

Expression set somewhere between the cat that just ate the canary and something far more feral, Giles returned his full attention to Jenny.

"Shall we?" he held out his arms and she melted into them.

"To quote Buffy, Let's shall." She snuggled happily in his embrace.

"John Cusack in Grosse Pointe Blank," Buffy decided. "Definitely."

Willow, still floating from her few minutes of the undivided attention of the -- in her mind -- new and improved Giles, started badly. "You think he's a hired assassin?"

"Well, I was referring to the look -- black on black -- but... Nah. Not Giles."

"Hey, could be." Xander was starting to feel jealous of the attention the Brit was getting from the female contingent of their group. Wait, that was everyone but him.

When three pair of eyes fixed on him for a change he suddenly wished they wouldn't. "You're right," he capitulated. "Nah, definitely nah."

"Nah," Willow made it unanimous. "But..."

"But it kinda goes with the image," Buffy finished for her best friend.

"What's up?" A new but familiar voice spoke from behind them.

"Angel!" Buffy said happily, scooting over to stand next to him. Her hand captured one of his. "I didn't think you were coming."

Their best vampire friend shrugged. "Yeah, well, high school dances aren't exactly my thing but seeing as how you're here I thought I could put in an appearance."

"Glad you did."

"So what'd I miss?"

"Giles," they all said practically at the same time.

"What about him?"

"Look for yourself." Buffy gestured towards the dance floor.

Giles and Jenny were so close together there was no daylight to be seen between them.

"Hey, way to go, Giles!" Angel smiled then shut up rather suddenly -- a combination of the force of the stares he was getting from the Slayerettes and something else. His expression changed.

"Is something the matter, Angel?" Willow asked querulously.

"Uh, is that...?" He tried again. "That looks like... Never mind."

"Yup, that's Giles all right."

"No... Never mind."

"You said that already."

Angel just stood there being a clam and an intense one at that.

The music ended, the band took a break and Giles escorted Jenny back to the group. They both looked a little flushed, Jenny more than Giles. They greeted Angel, Jenny a little more bouyantly than Giles whose own expression grew a bit wary.

"Giles."

"Angel."

"Amazing what changes come out in a person when they wear a disguise...or a costume," the vampire commented casually.

"Yes, well. This bunch convinced me it was time to have a little fun," Giles said a trifle defensively.

"A little fun never hurt anyone." When Giles didn't respond, Angel continued. "Reminds me of a fellow I knew in London a few years ago. He worked for an organization called...what was it called? The Council, the Board? Something like that. Anyway, he was kind of a serious guy. Lived a dangerous life, no time or opportunity for fun. It nearly broke him. Then there was another man, another time -- an American magician -- very flamboyant, almost frivolous. Really liked the ladies. I sometimes wonder what happened to those guys?"

"Were they good friends of yours?" Buffy wondered.

"Oh, I didn't know them that well at all. It was more a case of us being in the same places at the same time sort of thing. They were around, I was around. I watched from the shadows... But it kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"How so?"

"You know, you see someone who kind of sticks out in your mind and you just...wonder about them."

Giles looked at him steadily. "Yes. I do know what you mean."

Jenny tugged at his arm. "Come on, Rupert. The band is back. Let's dance."

Giles let her draw him away but several times during their dance his eyes met Angel's and he stared...

Angel smiled allowing his fangs to show a little.

~ end ~


End file.
